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JR's Blog: Bob Stoops, Toronto & Chicago Show Updates, Huge Ross Report Podcast News, Pro Wrestling Crowds, Impact Woes, ProWrestlingTees.com

Posted: May 2nd 2014 By: Jim Ross - JRsBarBQ.com

Thanks for stopping by and checking out this latest blog...

Headed to the Coach Bob Stoops Foundation charity function tonight to assist underprivileged kids. It's the 14th annual event and is for a great cause. It would be a better world if everyone chipped in to help charities when they could with either money or time. You can't imagine how good it makes one feel.

Tickets are still available at ticketmaster for both our May shows coming up soon, Friday May 9, in Toronto and at the end of the month in Chicago.

Toronto will be at the Danforth Music Hall at 9 pm on Friday May 9. Tickets will also be available the day of the event at the box office at the venue.

Chicago is Saturday afternoon May 31 at 2 pm at the Chicago House of Blues.

Both shows will have VIP meet/greets with autograph and photo opportunities that will be held prior to each event. Both events will also feature No Holds Barred Q&A's where the fans take over.

These are the only events we have booked in both markets and both will be held the day before big wrestling events....the ROH-New Japan show is Saturday May 10 in TO while WWE has a PPV event in Chicago on Sunday June 1.

Catch me this Sunday night after Extreme Rules on LAW Radio in Toronto with John Pollock and company as we take your calls, talk about the Extreme Rules event and discuss RINGSIDE w/ Jim Ross in TO that John is going to serve as the MC.

Our Ross Report Podcast is growing like crazy as with just one show per week we are staying in the top ten of ALL sports podcasts on the iTunes charts. Thanks goes to all of you for supporting it. You can download our podcasts free at podcastone.com and via iTunes.

Right now we feature a fantastic interview with the amazing Gail Kim including a cameo from her husband Chef Robert Irvine of the Food Network.

Nest week is the blockbuster part one of my interview with Shawn Michaels who discusses how close he came to returning to the ring to face his former student Daniel Bryan, his reaction while sitting at the infamous Gorilla Position during WM30 specifically when The Streak ended, his HOF experience this year and so much more including analyzing many of his most memorable moments. Shawn offers a perspective on CM Punk's WWE departure that might surprise you and our conversation in San Antonio that was the catalyst for HBK returning to WWE after a four year hiatus.

In a couple of weeks I talk to Bill Goldberg which is already taped about him returning to WWE, how he would like to see it done and why he is motivated at age 47 to return to the ring. Bill also discusses the NFL. UFC, training at the WCW Power Plant and who helped him the most in the early part of his career along with the political world of pro wrestling as seen through the eyes of a 'rookie' non wrestling fan at the time. It's a fascinating conversation with the enigma known as Goldberg.

Some thoughts on pro wrestling's live audiences.....St. Louis wasn't great for WWE Monday night and the lack of noise adversely affected the broadcast IMO. Here's how I look at that matter: No one buys a not so cheap ticket, packs up the car,drives to the venue and parks to come in and have their mind made up to NOT make noise. The commitment to get to one's seats is too great to come and act as if one is watching golf or tennis. The product that one sees before them is what is going to motivate a crowd to emotionally invest and to be loud and proud. The St Louis crowd, normally a very good wrestling crowd, apparently did not see enough to make the show sound special. There were moments but not enough of them over the three hour show.

TNA had a PPV a week ago where the smaller crowd in a sound stage was embarrassingly quiet and provided little to no motivation for the talents some of which had excellent bouts. TNA is in an especially precarious position as they are in the closing months of their TV rights deal with Spike and have zero momentum or leverage with which to negotiate. Trying to save money by having the TV's in the same venue more often than not in Orlando is the kiss of death. If the crowds that attend IMPACT events there don't react to what they saw on the loaded, PPV card then they are unlikely to 'pop' for much of any thing. That makes the TV show sound uninspired and not 'must see' TV. It's a good thing that Impact is going to do some of their tapings outside the Orlando sound stage going forward as that scenario is one designed for failure.

I am all for Impact and all wrestling companies for that matter to succeed because he more places that talents, crew, etc have to work the better it is for the overall business.

http://www.prowrestlingtees.com/JimRoss is a cool site to make a quick visit. Business has sure picked up there thanks to many of you.

Perhaps the days of the 'traditional' pro wresting villains have left the building but I remain steadfast that there still must be heroes and villains in the conflicts played out in pro wrestling. I also realize that some fans who are defiant in nature simply like cheering for the "bad guys." Nonetheless, the shades of gray booking is ill fated and neuters the audience emotionally in my view. Fans have to want one wrestler to win and the other to lose which lends to the definitive antagonist or protagonist philosophy.

Remember that JR's products work just as well in one's kitchen as they do on the grill and are available at wweshop.com, americansoda.co.uk and beyondtheropes.co.uk.

One last note about recruiting potential pro wrestlers....look at it like big game hunting and to be successful on one's hunt one must go to where the most big game are located. Eliminate no 'hunting grounds' but to not emphasize football fields is not a wise choice.

The Q&A's here are updated. Check them out.

Boomer Sooner!

J.R. @JRsBBQ